Hojutsu Ryu
Hojutsu Ryu or "The Art of Gunnery” is the martial art dedicated to firearms usage. It is the modern rendition of hōjutsu and is based on the Modern Technique of the pistol that was developed by Col. Jeff Cooper
The founder of modern Hojutsu is Soke Jeffrey Hall who was inducted into the United States Martial Arts Hall of Fame in June of 2005 as the founder and head of Modern Hojutsu Ryu. The US Martial Arts Hall of Fame determined after long evaluation and interviews with Soke Hall that Hojutsu Ryu was in fact a martial art and have recognized it as such.
Hojutsu Ryu fuses the teaching of the modern technique of firearms with the tradition and structure of martial arts. Students of the art must pass written exams on the history of the art, write essays on related topics, show a high degree of skill in firearms “kata” as well as demonstrate different degrees of proficiency in shooting for the different ranks earned.
Unlike traditional martial arts, skill is easily quantifiable and is not subjective. Students must be able to make hits on their targets within very specifically defined time limits and distances. As the student progresses to higher ranks, time limits decrease, making tests much more difficult. At the highest level testing is so difficult that it can not be passed with out attaining a level of mental skill known as “Mushin” or no-mind. Movements must be reflexive and instinctive or the tests can not be passed.
Hojutsu Ryu is also an integrated fighting system that incorporates empty hand self-defense, impact weapons as well as edged weapons. It is the philosophy of the founder that the Hojutsu Ryu practitioner must be an effective fighting force from grappling distance out to 300 meters.
Hojutsu Ryu now has several instructors teaching in Alaska, Colorado, California, Washington State, Idaho, and Nevada.